This study piece is a solo bass composition that will get you acquainted with the chordal fingerstyle technique. This involves playing the strings of the bass using the thumb and fingers of the picking hand. Although this is a technique that is more commonly associated with the guitar, you’ll find that it works equally well […]

This study piece has a relatively slow tempo. In addition to playing conventional supportive grooves, the bass is also the featured instrument here, taking on many of the main melodic lines. Using the instrument in this way recalls the work of Marcus Miller, whose influence can be clearly heard throughout the composition. Although there are […]

This song was released in December 2001 and was a huge hit for Sophie Ellis-Bextor. It reached number two in the UK singles chart and was a top ten hit around the world. It had a significant resurgence in popularity in 2024 when it was featured in the film Saltburn. The bassline for this song […]

This great song by the John Mayer Trio features Pino Palladino on bass. Pino shines in this minimalist band setting, supporting the song with a supple, bluesy line that he played on a Fender Precision bass. Pino makes extensive use of the major and minor pentatonic scales here. As a result, his line is a […]

‘Come On, Come Over’ is the second track from Jaco Pastorius’ landmark debut album. Released in August 1976, this was an album that changed everything for bass players, proving beyond doubt that the bass guitar was a powerful vehicle for soloists as well as for groove players. This track is an R&B number featuring legendary […]

‘Watermelon Man’ is one of Herbie Hancock’s best-known compositions. Originally written for his 1962 album Takin’ Off , it was revisited in 1973 by Herbie and his group The Headhunters. This version of the song – covered in this course – features an inventive bass part built around tenths, from bassist Paul Jackson. To download […]

‘The Wicked Vicar’ is an original composition that was written to represent virtuoso bassist Victor Wooten. It is representative of his work both as a solo artist, and as a member of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. The majority of this piece is based around a relatively simple chord progression over which slapped parts are […]

This study piece was written as a resource for working on the chordal fingerstyle technique. This technique involves playing the strings with the thumb and fingers in a similar way to that of a classical guitarist. As you’ll find out when working on this piece, it’s a technique that translates really well onto the bass […]

‘King for a Day’ was written to represent Mark King’s bass work with Level 42, with a particular focus on the instrumental jazz-funk that the band played in the early eighties. The bass part features many common elements of his playing style, such as continuous sixteenth note-based slap grooves, fingerstyle funk lines, and the use […]

The sixties were an experimental time for musicians, none more so than The Beatles in the UK, and The Beach Boys over in the U.S. Although The Beach Boys began life as a surf rock band, under the stewardship of chief songwriter Brian Wilson they evolved into a far more sophisticated outfit during the mid-late […]